title: Joint replacement recipients' views about health information privacy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Researchers are concerned about the possibility of restricted access to data as a result of specific consent requirements in privacy legislation, potentially resulting in smaller samples and a lack of representativeness which could bias results. In addition, there is uncertainty about what influences individuals to give consent for the use of their personal health information.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure joint replacement recipients' health information privacy views and to assess potential predictors of these views.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Potential joint replacement recipients from two teaching hospitals in London, Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, gender, education, employment status, anticipated joint replacement, and expectations for surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Privacy concerns as measured by the Concern Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 182/253 or 72%. The mean Concern score was 143.9/235.0 for the total sample (range = 82-216). Women had higher levels of privacy concerns than men on slightly over half of the individual questionnaire items. In women, surgical joint, age and employment explained 15% of the variance in concerns about personal health information privacy (P = 0.001). The model explained 6% of the variance in concerns in men (P = 0.138) and was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that demographic characteristics and health-care experiences play a role in the variability of health information privacy concerns. A greater understanding of patients' privacy views about health information could lead to a greater harmonization among privacy rules, research and data access, and the preferences of health-care consumers.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Family Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Bert M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Chesworth
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stolee
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Speechley
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D003219:Confidentiality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: health information privacy; joint replacement patients; patients' attitudes